Retaining means for receptacle-covers.



L. P. RYAN.

RETAINING MEANS FOR REGBPTACLB COVERS.

APPLICATION FILED M1127, 1912.

1,051,014, Patent-,ed .111121, 1913.

Qa v

COLUMBIA PLANunRAPH C0., WASHINGTON. D. c.

LAWRENCE F. RYAN,

0F NEW YORK, N.Y.

RETAINING MEANS FOR RECEPTACLE-COVERS.

inercia.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 21,1913.

Application filed April 27, 1912. Serial No. 693,710.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LAWRENCE F. RYAN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have inventedcertain Improvements in Retaining Means for Receptacle-Covers, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in retaining means forreceptacle covers and more especially in that class of such deviceswhich are particularly designed and adapted for use in connection withmilk receptacles and the like, and the object of the invention is toprovide a device of this general character of a simple and comparativelyinexpensive nature having certain features of novelty and improvementwhereby the closure of the receptacle is effectively held andautomatically locked against removal by unauthorized persons.

rIhe invention consists in certain novel features of the construction,and combinations and arrangements of the several parts of the improvedretaining means whereby certain important advantages are attained, andthe device is rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise betteradapted and more convenient for use, all as will be hereinafter fullyset forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in theclaims.

In order that my improvements may be the better understood, I willnow'proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanyingdrawings wherein Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view takenthrough a milk receptacle with a retaining means for the closure thereofconstructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional viewtaken through the locking means as herein disclosed; Fig. 3 is asectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a sectionalview taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a sectional viewtaken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

In these views l denotes a receptacle herein shown as of the typeordinarily used for containing milk or the like and 2, 2 the liftinghandles therefor and 3 the cover or closure all of which may be of anypreferred form as the construction thereof forms no particular featureof the present invention. 4

upper surface of the cap or closure 3. I

have also found it to be of advantage to have the flange curved in crosssection to correspond with the upper surface of such cap in order thatthe retaining device may rest the more snugly thereon. At diametricallyopposite points the endless strip 4 is provided with the dependingstraps 6 and 7 secured to the lower marginal portion of the endlessstrip 4 by the rivets 8 or other anchoring means. end portion turnedinwardly and upwardly as at 9 to produce a hook like member adapted toengage on the handles of the receptacle.

It is obvious that the hook likemember may be extended in an outwarddirection but I have found in practice that by positioning such hooklike member as herein disclosed the possibility of forcibly releasingThe strap 6 has its lower f the same by a suit-able tool or implement isreduced to a minimum. It is also to be observed that the strap 6 is ofsuch a curvature as to permit the hook like member to be readily engagedby the co-acting handle 2 when applying the retaining device intooperative position.

I have found it of advantage in order to permit convenient and quickengagement of the straps 6 and 7 with the handles 2, 2

to have the lower portions of such straps hinged as at 10 in Fig. l, theoperation and convenience afforded by these hinges being, it is'thought,clearly apparent. The strap 7 is of such a length as to extend throughand beneath the adjacent handle 2 and to the lower end portion of suchstrap 7 is hingedly secured the auxiliary strap 11 which is adapted tobe swung back upon the strap 7 and such auxiliary strap is providedadjacent its freeend with the flangemember 12 I 7 I suitably secure thecasing 14 of extended lengthwise of the strap 11 and of a predeterminedlength, which is adapted to be projected through the longitudinallyextended elongated slot 18 produced in the strap 7 when the device is inoperative position.

To the inner or under surface of the strap any ordinary or preferredconstruction which affords a chamber 15 which is adapted to accommodatethe projected portion of the flange 12 hereinbefore referred to, andproduced in the projected portion of the flange 12 is an elongated slotor opening 16 which is adapted to receive the tongue 17 of the slidingbolt 18 in a substantially automat-1c manner and as particularly shownthrough the medium of the spring member 19 which bears against the inneror rear end of the sliding bolt 18 and tends t-o hold such bolt normallyin contact with the stop device 2O which may be of any o-rdinary orpreferred construction, and the position of these stops 20 is such as toposition the tongue 17 directly across the path of travel of the fiange12 within the chamber 15 and the surface of such tongue which contactswith the flange 12 being beveled or inclined in such a manner asindicated particularly in Fig. 5 at 21, whereby the entrance of thefiange 12 within the chamber 15 automatically retracts the bolt 18 untilthe opening 16 produced in the flange 12 is in alinement with the tongue17 when the spring 19 causes such tongue 17 to enter within or throughthe opening 16 whereby the strap 11 is effectually held against movementinto inoperative position unt-il the bolt 12 has been retracted manuallysuch as by a properly formed key.

While the bolt 12 hereinbefore referred to may be of any ordina-ry orpreferred construction and be mounted wit-hin the casing 14 in anydesired way I prefer that there be produced in one face of the bolt 12the parallel grooves or channels 22 adapted to accommodate the trackways23 which are herein shown as formed in a continuation ofthe stops 2Ohereinbefore referred to and as herein disclosed, such stops 2O andtrack ways 23 are formed in cont-inuancy.

The straps 7 and 11 are provided with the apertures or key openings 24adapted to register when the device is in operative position, thepurpose of such openings being to permit the nsertion within the casing14 or more particularly the chamber 15 thereof of a suitable key, toeffect the manual retraction of the bolt 12 as hereinbefore stated. Thecoaction between the key and the bolt may be in any desired manner whichwill operate with facility, but as herein shown I have a central portionof the bolt 12 cut out as at 25, the rear wall of such opening' being soarranged as to be readily enga-ged by the bit of a key irrespective ofwhich direction such key may be turned and in order that proper purchasemay be given to the key I have the post 26 carried by closure plate 27of the casing 14 with which the end portion of the key inserted withinthe chamber 15 co-acts as in a well known way.

From the above description of my improvements it will be seen that theimproved retaining means for. receptacles constructed in accordance withmy invention is of an extremely simple and comparatively inexpensivenature, and is particularly well adapted fo-r use by reason of theautomatic manner with which the same is Vlocked and held in operativeposition, and it will be also obvious from the foregoing descriptionthat my invention is susceptible of considerable modification withoutmaterial departure from the principles and spirit of t-he inven- `tion,and for this reason I do not desire to be understood as limiting myselfto the precise formation and arrangement of the several parts of thedevice as herein set forth in carrying out my invention in practice.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I now claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. A device of the character describedcomprising a member adapted to surround the closure of a receptacle andhaving an inturned flange adapted to rest on the upper surface of suchclosure, straps depending from such member, one of such strapsterminating in a hook like member and a second of such straps having anauxiliary strap member hingedly secured thereto and adapted to be swungback thereon and means for automatically locking and holding suchauxiliary strap member against displacement when in such position.

2. A device of the character Vdescribed comprising a member adapted tocontact with the closure of a receptacle, straps depending from suchmember, one of such straps terminating in a hook like portion, and asecond of such straps having an auxiliary strap member hingedly securedthereto and adapted to be swung back thereon, and co-acting meanscarried by the second strap and the auxiliary strap member forautomatically locking and holding such auxiliary strap member againstdisplacement when swung back upon the strap.

3. A device of the character described comprising a member adapted toco-act with the closure of a "receptacle, straps depending from suchmember, one of such straps terminating in a hook like portion and asecond of such straps having an auxiliary strap member hingedly securedthereto, said second strapl being provided with an opening, a perforatedflange on the auxiliary member adapted to be extended through theopening in the second member when such strap member is swung back fromthe second strap, n Witness whereof I have hereunto signed and meansCarried by the second strap eamy name 1n the presenoe of two subscribingpable of automatic operation to project Witnesses.

through the perforated ange of the aux- LAWRENCE F. RYAN. 5 iliarymember to hold sueh auxiliary mem- Vitnesses:

ber against displacement When swung back FRANK RYAN,

upon the second strap. W. E. LAWSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, '.D. C.

